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Subject:Re: The Business of Conferences From:Janice Gelb <janiceg -at- marvin -dot- eng -dot- sun -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Wed, 13 Dec 2000 09:34:34 -0800 (PST)
In article ORG -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com, bbyfield -at- axionet -dot- com (Bruce Byfield) writes:
>Arlen -dot- P -dot- Walker -at- jci -dot- com wrote:
>|
>| It strikes me, after reviewing a number of posts in this thread, that the
>| STC should be put in contact with a few experienced Science Fiction
>| Convention runners. (There may even be a few with concom experience within
>| the sound of my keyboard right now, dare I suggest even a SMOF or two?)
>
You rang? :->
>
>Science fiction conventions went through a similar period over a decade
>ago when Harlan Ellison and a number of other writers decided that they
>would no longer attend conventions unless they were paid to do so.
>
This is entirely untrue. Many top-name writers, including Harlan
Ellison, still attend science fiction conventions and are *not*
paid to appear. (To my personal knowledge, Harlan spoke at a
small convention in Boston just last year and was not paid.)
>
>Considering that guests of honour at SF conventions are often on stage
>for the entire convention - even suffering from a lack of privacy in the
>washroom - their position was even more justified than the professional
>lecturers who balk at STC policy.
>
You seem to be confusing guests of honor, who of course are
remunerated for attending the convention, with writers who
do programming, who are *not* remunerated. There are usually
two or three guests of honor -- often a writer, a fan, and
an artist or editor, sometimes a writer toastmaster.
>
>However, in practice, many new writers are still willing to attend for
>the gratification of being a guest, or even out of altruism.
>
No participants other than the guests of honor are paid for
participating in programming, and this includes the top names in the
field. And not only writers are on programming, either: just last year
I moderated and participated on a panel that included Gene Wolfe and
James Morrow, just as an example. This year, I moderated one that Terry
Pratchett was on. None of them were paid for their participation, nor
was I. The idea is that we are all part of the science fiction
community, and participating in programming is considered contributing
back to the field.
***********************************************************************
Janice Gelb | The only connection Sun has with
janice -dot- gelb -at- marvin -dot- eng -dot- sun -dot- com | this message is the return address. http://www.geocities.com/Area51/8018/index.html
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